In this year's Envelope Roundtable of supporting actresses, the topic of sexual harassment in the entertainment industry came up. After an initial nervous pause these actresses jumped right in. Hong Chau ("Downsizing") credited the ongoing discussion of revelations of harassment with jump-starting a greater push to get women behind the camera and in other production positions.

Laurie Metcalf sees a new strength and savviness in the younger generation of actresses in dealing with these situations, and Holly Hunter gives a shout to social media for enabling the entire movement of women and men telling their stories.

Nov. 21, 2017, 4:30 a.m.

Allison Janney from “I, Tonya,” shares how “it’s a very empowering time” now that people feel free to speak up about their experiences with sexual harassment.

As the landslide of stories about sexual harassment and abuse in the entertainment industry has continued to flow, it has often been the main and sometimes only topic of conversation at screenings and receptions and the other whistle-stops of awards season.

This year’s Envelope Roundtable of supporting actress contenders was no exception. Allison Janney from “I, Tonya,” Laurie Metcalf from “Lady Bird,” Nicole Kidman from “The Beguiled,” Holly Hunter from “The Big Sick,” Hong Chau from “Downsizing” and Michelle Pfeiffer from “mother!” had something to say, starting with Janney, who recalled, "I always knew about this thing called the 'casting couch' and that was something women had to navigate."

But now that people are telling their stories, Janney added, "it's a very empowering time."